Garner — The owner of a Garner home was awakened during the early hours of Sunday morning after a car crashed into his house.

Shortly after 4 a.m., a house at 1311 Elkhorn Road that is owned by Scott Mizelle was struck by car that along the way tore through a gas meter. The car and meter went up in flames, and emergency responders swarmed to the scene to control the blaze.

Garner Volunteer Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Steve Williams, who was part of the cleanup crew, said three engines responded from Garner and one from Fairview. Police blocked stretches of road around the corner lot until the Public Service Gas Company could stop the flow of natural gas.

“When you have a gas leak, it’s safer to let it burn because it’s getting rid of the gas,” Williams said. “But we still have to attack the fire. We put a line on the car and one on the house.”

By the time the fire was out, all that was left of the two-story house was a bonus room and the garage. The owner woke up in time to get out with his two dogs, but police are still trying to find the driver, who fled the scene and has not been identified. From staff reports